While you're post is witty and amusing, and I appreciate the time you took, please don't spend any time responding to mine. I'm just complimenting Ted.

I contacted my 3 reps with, more or less, one of the form letters posted regarding this issue. It was short and to the point as I didn't want to challenge my reps with a tiring reading exercise. I've received no response whatsoever. So, in that regard, I suppose Ted deserves to be commended.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

I fully understand the process and the fact that he probably didn't write the letter himself - naive is certainly not one thing I am.

You said, "...it doesn't sound like he's blowing smoke up our asses." and I had to say that it is pretty naïve to think that. If you would have visited the Embrace Insanity link I posted earlier, you will see that EVERYTHING Mr. Cornyn wrote is exactly what they want you to believe. Watch this brief video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66PbSzwnLes(§) from the Embrace Insanity web site. The RIAA wants full control over what you will get. The internet carriers want full control over what you get. And, of course, the government wants full control over what you get. Hmm. Reeks of collusion to me. FDR's thought police are still running amuck!

(§) This can't be true! Nowhere does it mention Al Gore and we all know HE invented the internet.

I'd already stated when I first posted that site's link that I do not agree with some of what is there. For example, I find it more than a bit hypocritical to rail against the machine and then request that one to become one with the machine in order to join their mailing list. (yahoo or google lists)

The point is there are many salient points in that brief video. Having been around pre-CIX (launch date the 1st of Endless-September), I have seen the internet erode. The first big offender was AOL with its AOL "members-only" content... but, AOLers could salt the rest of the internet with their unique brand of netiquette (notiquette).

Money is just a modern mechanism for the measurement of these sins. Lust for it. Greed to a acquire it. Gluttony for more of it. Envy of it. I'm sure you could probably apply the rest of them too. Money, itself, is just a medium of exchange. When one says money is the root of all evil, they speak to the various sins as I've described.

As for Optimism, I used to have abundant optimism. I think my cistern of optimism was finally drained dry the 3rd year I was in federal court. Remember David and Goliath? No, not the silly claymation, the story of little David doing battle with the giant Golliath. It is JUST a story. That's why my optimism is all dried up.

Corporations like XM Satellite radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have crawled into bed with the government to force feed you, and for a fee too, the same pablum shit you were getting before from free over-the-airwave commercial radio.

The owner of RadioParadise ('you think Jim has problems!)
made a statement this week that under the new plan,
he'd owe $650,000 next year...!
As the new law is retroactive to Jan.'06, he's
likely looking at "grab yer ankles and grin" time.

The owner of RadioParadise ('you think Jim has problems!)
made a statement this week that under the new plan,
he'd owe $650,000 next year...!
As the new law is retroactive to Jan.'06, he's
likely looking at "grab yer ankles and grin" time.

Pees

K

I find it difficult to imagine a retraoctive law being enforcable when there was no willful malice.

I find it difficult to imagine a retraoctive law being enforcable when there was no willful malice.

I've been reading and rereading Title 17 and, specifically, the sections which apply to these "royalties". A law is not enforceable ex post facto. This is not technically a law; it is that the LoC CRB granted an increase of fees already being collected. It may be that since the RIAA petitioned the LoC CRB and it took 2 years of their (the RIAA's) coercion of the LoC CRB to get their way, these fees may actually be applicable retroactively.

Gawd I hate lawyers. What is needed is a class legal action by all of the internet radio stations to get this nonsense put to bed. Sadly, it would require a really good IP lawyer(s) to squash this. I'd wager that if everyone who enjoys listening to internet radio coughed up $10 for the stream they are using, the collected amount might be enough to retain such legal representation. I'd caution against this because lawyering is about 2 things and 2 things only: greed and money. Once retained, these lawyers would drag this on ad infinitum -- if they could -- but the money on "our" side would be quickly depleted and we'd all be back in the same proverbial fecal infested waterway without a handheld propelling implement.

Trust me on this. I spent 3.5 years in US Federal Court (Fed. Justice Garrett E. Brown). When everybody's pockets were emptied, the parties went off feeling ill-used and the lawyers well funded. Judge G.E.B. remained the fuckwit he always was.

I've been reading and rereading Title 17 and, specifically, the sections which apply to these "royalties". A law is not enforceable ex post facto. This is not technically a law; it is that the LoC CRB granted an increase of fees already being collected. It may be that since the RIAA petitioned the LoC CRB and it took 2 years of their (the RIAA's) coercion of the LoC CRB to get their way, these fees may actually be applicable retroactively.

Gawd I hate lawyers. What is needed is a class legal action by all of the internet radio stations to get this nonsense put to bed. Sadly, it would require a really good IP lawyer(s) to squash this. I'd wager that if everyone who enjoys listening to internet radio coughed up $10 for the stream they are using, the collected amount might be enough to retain such legal representation. I'd caution against this because lawyering is about 2 things and 2 things only: greed and money. Once retained, these lawyers would drag this on ad infinitum -- if they could -- but the money on "our" side would be quickly depleted and we'd all be back in the same proverbial fecal infested waterway without a handheld propelling implement.

Trust me on this. I spent 3.5 years in US Federal Court (Fed. Justice Garrett E. Brown). When everybody's pockets were emptied, the parties went off feeling ill-used and the lawyers well funded. Judge G.E.B. remained the fuckwit he always was.

Agreed, vax but isn't there two levels at play here? For dinky little outfits like us, we don't receive any profit, just donations to cover costs. If the ruling goes through, I guess we'll just stop what we do and only play independents. But certainly there'd be no retroactive "damages" against us.

I'd rather just react and adapt, and not pay any money for representation also, but for a different reason. There are a few lawyers that will take a case like this on its merits. But it wouldn't be worth my time and effort if it cost me money without the guarantee of results. It isn't worth my time to stress over.

I wonder if this issue could be cast in such a way as to get the EFF interested? IIRC the EFF legal team works pro bono so that would remove the money-grubbing lawyer worries. In fact it looks like they're already involved with fighting the PERFORM act which seems related albeit maybe even worse:

" From the blog of Chris Thomas, founder of Palo Duro Records: "The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board has established a royalty proposal for webcasters (internet radio) which is absolutely insane, and will effectively wipe our the last remnants of passion-driven music programming from North America.

"This irresponsible government policy will push a tremendous growth opportunity and potential economic boom for the music industry to offshore locations immune to, and even defiant of, artist/label rights."

Despite where the signal's actually streaming from,
I'm thinking they're going to have a tough time busting
a station that technically originates from outside the jurisdiction.

" From the blog of Chris Thomas, founder of Palo Duro Records: "The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board has established a royalty proposal for webcasters (internet radio) which is absolutely insane, and will effectively wipe our the last remnants of passion-driven music programming from North America.

"This irresponsible government policy will push a tremendous growth opportunity and potential economic boom for the music industry to offshore locations immune to, and even defiant of, artist/label rights."

Despite where the signal's actually streaming from,
I'm thinking they're going to have a tough time busting
a station that technically originates from outside the jurisdiction.

Vax- let's figure out some blows against the empire.

K

I wonder what the electrical configuration requirements would be for a server in Afghanistan.

"Offshore Legal Services based in Panama
Offshore is an international term meaning not only out of your country (jurisdiction) but out of the tax reach of your country of residence or citizenship; synonymous with foreign, transnational, global, international, transworld and multi-national. By hosting your website offer you are able to receive all of these benefits and not be under the direct jurisdiction of your resident country. This is particularly of interest to businesses who do not wish prying eyes to view their online transactions".

Before somebody reads this URL and thinks that I believe this letter is not crap, please let me explain.

I've been talking about a grass-roots campaign of public awareness... much like the Embrace Insanity group is doing to combat the forces trying to make extinct the ideas of net-neutrality. I called the link /no_crap for my plans to get a movement underway entitled: No C.R.A.P... for No Corporate & RIAA Approved Radio. It fits since most radio is crap and controlled by the Corps and RIAA.

I am dismayed when I check, each day, the progress of the net petitions. The numbers seem to be hovering under the 50K signator mark. I feel that there are more people who would be concerned about this IF they knew about it. Distribute fliers, both physical and electronic, explaining what is happening to our freedom to listen to what we want to listen to and that it is being taken away in the interests of the Corps and RIAA. We are getting shortchanged in the same way as the artists represented by these leeches. Spread the word! No C.R.A.P.